A cadre of professionals: Credentialing emergency managers to meet the disaster challenges of the future

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-540
Author(s):  
Heriberto Urby, PhD, JD ◽  
David A. McEntire, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Federal Emergency Management Agency ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Local State ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
The Future

This paper underscores the need for the emergency management field to professionalize further and mentions how this could be accomplished through direct state licensing, Associate Emergency Manager and/or Certified Emergency Manager credentialing, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Independent Study courses, or other state certifications such as the Illinois Professional Emergency Manager credential, in that particular state and as found in other states. This paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and then reviews Drabek’s recommendations on how emergency managers may hone their professionalism through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities. The authors of this work add professional experience and in-person training to this list and discuss the implications of findings for research and practice by identifying several questions that will need to be addressed in the future. The overall recommendation of our article is that more efforts will be required to understand professionalism through research activities and collaboration across all types of emergency management organizations at the local, state, and federal levels—especially if we ever truly expect to enter licensing like professions such as medicine, law, engineering, accountancy, and teaching.

The future of emergency management

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A. Bullock ◽  
George D. Haddow
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
The Past ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Future ◽  
Us Federal Government

The discipline of emergency management (EM) is at a critical crossroads. Emergency managers around the world are faced with new threats, new responsibilities, and new opportunities. This paper examines the organizational changes made by the US federal government in shaping the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and presents three key lessons learned during the past decade that could guide emergency planners as they design and manage EM organizations of the future.

Promotion or transition: From fire officer to emergency manager

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Ray H. Chang, PhD ◽  
Dave Neal, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
Task Differences

The field of emergency management has put much focus on disaster response activities. By overly emphasizing response, some people have come to regard fire officers as ideal candidates for promotion into emergency manager positions. To understand this process, we first review the basic definitions of emergency management. Next, drawing upon these definitions, we identify differences between fire officers’ and emergency managers’ tasks. Based on the analysis, we found that the task differences were large enough to distinguish emergency managers as a profession separate and distinct from that of the fire officer. Finally, we conclude with suggestions on how fire officers can enhance or expand their job skills to change effectively their career paths to emergency management.

The essential skill set of a resilient emergency manager

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Tyler, MS ◽  
Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Collaborative Networks ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Management Literature

The broadened mission of emergency management has required emergency managers to develop and maintain a diverse and evolving set of skills and competencies. While several scholars and practitioners have offered guidance on the skills, competencies, and education needed to be an effective emergency manager, there are other equally important characteristics of an effective emergency manager that have received relatively less attention in the emergency management literature. This article seeks to provide a more comprehensive list of the characteristics of an effective emergency manager by introducing the notion of the resilient emergency manager. A resilient emergency manager is someone who is able to adapt to changing conditions, make agile decisions, function interoperably, mobilize resources, scale programs, policies, and procedures, develop robust collaborative networks, and build redundant emergency management systems. This article concludes with a discussion on how to build and sustain the essential skill set of a resilient emergency manager.

scholarly journals In What Ways Does Australian Emergency Management Reflect the Criteria of a Profession?

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s20-s20
Author(s):  
Dudley Mcardle ◽  
Francis Archer ◽  
Caroline Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Demographic Profiles ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The People ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
Short And Long Term

Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM) in Australia continues to gain momentum. Many emergency managers see themselves and are seen by others as professionals, yet little evidence exists to confirm this proposition. Unlike other professions, there is no peak body or overarching organization in Australia to help the diverse group of emergency managers to identify standards of performance and to lobby decision-makers on their behalf.Aim:This study identifies criteria that define a profession and considers how the emergency management sector in Australia reflects them.Methods:A literature review and review of established professions informed criteria of what constitutes a profession. Using these criteria, a survey was conducted to identify the demographic profiles of Australian emergency managers, their perception of the criteria of a profession, and their attitudes towards professionalization of their sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a representative sample. Ethics approval was obtained.Results:A set of criteria for an EM context in Australia was created. 859 emergency managers in Australia were surveyed using an online questionnaire. No common profile emerged from the survey in terms of age, gender, background, expertise, skills, or experience. Likewise, no clear career path, no clearly defined standard training, no universal standards of performance, and no statutory certification to qualify an emergency manager as a professional were revealed. Participants variously identified some of the necessary criteria of a profession, but no uniformity emerged.Discussion:This unique study concludes that the sector is not yet in a position to regard emergency management as a profession. Recommendations suggest steps be taken in the short- and long-term to facilitate the establishment of EM as a profession and identifies further research to inform the journey towards professionalizing the emergency management sector.

Sustainability and the local emergency manager

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Jensen, PhD ◽  
Regine Laurence Chauvet, MS
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
North Dakota ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Management Professionals

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore how local county emergency managers conceptualize sustainability and apply the concept within their jobs.Design: Qualitative, semistructured telephone and face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from a purposive and convenience sample of local county emergency managers.Setting: Interviews were conducted with Florida and North Dakota emergency managers.Subjects, Participants: Twenty-five local county emergency managers participated in this study. Results: The study demonstrated that there is a lack of definitional clarity in emergency manager conceptualizations of sustainability. Nevertheless, emergency managers apply the concept to their jobs in important ways.Conclusions: Emergency management has the opportunity to further define its role vis-à-vis sustainability and how it does so will have implications for the communities it serves, the professionals who will be tasked with it, and the educators who will support the development of future generations of emergency management professionals.

scholarly journals Emergency Manager Perceptions of the Effectiveness and Limitations of Mass Notification Systems: A Mixed Method Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
William V. Pelfrey
Keyword(s):  
Text Messaging ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Notification System ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Emergency Manager ◽  
Wide Variability ◽  
Manager Perceptions ◽  
Critical Resource ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
Method Approach

AbstractDisasters can move quickly. Effective communication is a critical resource that can significantly enhance public safety. A mass notification system (MNS) uses text messaging to inform constituents of crisis, provide recommendations, connect to resources, and has the advantage of speed. Limited research has been conducted on the variables that influence the effectiveness, utilization, and perceptions of MNS. The extant study employs a multi-method approach to advance the scholarly knowledge on MNS. All emergency managers in a state were surveyed on issues of MNS enrollment, utilization, and brand. A subgroup of emergency managers were then interviewed to provide depth to the survey findings. Key findings indicate wide variability in MNS usage, little relationship between population size and enrollment, and a high perceived importance of MNS as a communication modality. Policy implications and recommendations are offered.

Fear, history, stigma, and bias in the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Kevin Kupietz, PhD ◽  
Lesley Gray, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: The greatest enemy of a global pandemic is not the virus itself, but the fear, rumor, and stigma that envelopes people. This article explores the context and history of fear and stigma relating to pandemic, summarizing key actions to mitigate the harms during an active pandemic.Method: Our article draws from accounts in literature and journalist accounts documenting the relationship between infectious diseases and major disease outbreaks that have garnered fear and stigmatization. Results: Fear, stigma, and discrimination are not new concepts for pandemics. These social effects run the risk of diverting attention from the presenting disease and government responses. Reactions to fear, stigma, and discrimination risk sabotaging effective efforts to contain, manage, and eradicate the disease.Conclusion: Emergency managers have an important role in dispelling myths, disseminating appropriate and evidence-based information without exacerbating fears. Knowledge about the roots of fear and bias along with a good understanding of historical plagues and pandemics is vital to ensure those in the field of emergency management can effectively manage irrational fears.

Global warming and forest fires in Canada

1993 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Stocks
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Forest Fire Management ◽  
The Future ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
The Impact

The looming possibility of global warming raises legitimate concerns for the future of the forest resource in Canada. While evidence of a global warming trend is not conclusive at this time, governments would be wise to anticipate, and begin planning for, such an eventuality. The forest fire business is likely to be affected both early and dramatically by any trend toward warmer and drier conditions in Canada, and fire managers should be aware that the future will likely require new and innovative thinking in forest fire management. This paper summarizes research activities currently underway to assess the impact of global warming on forest fires, and speculates on future fire management problems and strategies.

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